The role of magnetic resonance spectroscopy in the assessment of kidney viability

Renal transplant programmes are seriously limited by the continuing shortage of donor organs. Kidneys from marginal and nonheart-beating donors are increasingly being used, but their viability may be compromised. There is currently no rapid yet accurate method for assessing donor organ viability which can be applied within the window of opportunity between harvesting and implantation. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) is a non-invasive technique which is being increasingly applied to delineate biochemical changes in vitro. Studies in animal models and humans now suggest that phosphorus-31 MRS may be useful in the non-invasive assessment of isolated donor kidney viability.